Arthritis Institute Planned

Under pressure from senior citizens and their representatives in Congress, the federal government will soon launch a new institute devoted to the study of arthritis and related disorders.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases will be the first new component of the National Institutes of Health in over a decade. ``NIAMD,`` which may begin operating in 6 months to a year, has raised hopes of future relief for the 37 million Americans who suffer from joint and muscle ailments.

Proponents of the institute have been spurred on by auspicious study findings that have linked arthritis to hormone activity, immune dysfunction and genetic factors. They believe the creation of NIAMD will boost promising areas of arthritis research and ultimately lead to new methods of treatment and prevention.

``When a separate institute is set up, answers seem to come more quickly,`` says Dr. Frederic McDuffie of the Arthritis Foundation, a group that has been one of NIAMD`s prime movers.

Federal officials, who have largely resisted the formation of NIAMD, argue that a new institute does not mean new money, especially when research budgets, like all areas of government spending, are facing unprecedented cutbacks.

Despite these objections, the new institute will be open for business sometime next year largely because of intense and prolonged lobbying efforts by influential senior citizens.